


Massage Therapy

by Star_Jelly



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, anxiety attack, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 05:23:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19202761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Jelly/pseuds/Star_Jelly
Summary: Virgil turns to Roman in the midst of an anxiety attack. How will he respond?





	Massage Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not have been sucked down the Prinxiety rabbit hole. So many cute fanfic concepts.  
> Also I would just like to say that I am in no way trying to romanticize anxiety in my fics that discuss it. It’s awful to deal with and that would NEVER be my intention. If it does seem like I am, please let me know and tell me any way that I can fix it. Please, I truly want to know what I can do to be better. In addition, I’m incredibly sorry if I’ve offended anyone in writing my stories this way

Roman lay sprawled out luxuriously on his king size bed, having just washed off the last of his face mask and finished painting his nails—the last not being something he usually did but that he enjoyed nonetheless. He supposed that this was a productive day; the Sides had completed a video with Thomas and posted a new short video on his Instagram before going out to dinner and a movie with Joan and Talyn. Given this, he was proud of himself and he imagined the other Sides were as well. Last he saw, Logan had begun rereading his favorite book and Patton had begun baking some cookies. As for Virgil...come to think of it he hadn’t seen him since the day had ended.  
His thoughts were interrupted by a timid knock on the door. He rose slowly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and walking towards the door. Patton? he thought. Odd, he usually follows a “hey kiddo” or some other sort of introductory greeting. He opened the door to find this wasn’t the case. Speak of the devil.  
Standing in the doorway was Virgil, shoulders hunched over and looking visibly exhausted. He glanced down to his roommate’s side and saw that he was clenching and unclenching is fists. He didn’t quite understand what was going on, was he mad at him?  
His thoughts were quickly impeded as Virgil fell forward, landing against Roman’s chest. Roman jumped slightly, startled by this strange gesture. He wasn’t sure what Virgil was trying to say. Should he say something? Try to play it off?  
“What’s eating you up, Panic! At the Everywhere?” Roman asked chuckling. His question was quickly answered as Virgil’s shoulders began to shake and he sniffled quietly. Damn it, he thought as he quickly shushed Virgil in a futile attempt to comfort him. He’s having an anxiety attack, I should’ve known.  
“This is so stupid,” Virgil grumbled, his voice shaking. “I should’ve known—“  
“No Virgil, it’s ok. I’m sorry, I should’ve recognized it sooner.” Roman quickly pulled Virgil into his room and shut the door. “You were showing all the signs, it’s my fault for not seeing them.”  
Virgil sobbed silently, occasionally sniffling, clinging to Roman’s sleep shirt. Roman could feel him shaking beneath his fingertips and he had never before felt so stupid for not seeing his roommate’s struggle. He put a hand on his back and shushed him as quietly and gently as he could manage. He had never calmed someone down like this before, usually his go-to was to try and distract from the situation, but he had a feeling that wasn’t the kind of treatment he needed. Why he came to him and not Patton because comfort and understanding was more his forte, he didn’t know, but that wasn’t important now, what mattered was that Virgil needed help.  
“It’s ok Virgil,” he murmured. “You can talk to me, just tell me what happened.”  
“It’s just too much in one day.” He whimpered. “We finished one thing and then moved straight on to the next and I didn’t want to say anything because we were being productive and I didn’t want to interrupt that. And then Joan and Talyn invited Thomas out and I couldn’t be rude and say ‘no’. I just...not being able to do multiple things at once makes me feel like a burden.”  
“Do you want to talk about it?” He felt Virgil shake his head against his chest. “Do you just wanna sit for a bit?” He felt him nod slowly.  
Roman brought him over to the bed, sitting at the head of it and bringing Virgil to the middle of it. He held him in his arms, letting him bury his face in the crook of his neck as he rubbed slow circles on his back-the only thing he knew to do.  
Virgil let out a heavy sigh. Roman observered that he wasn’t any less tense; he was very stiff in his arms and he was still clinging tightly to Roman’s shirt. He wasn’t sure this was doing him any good.  
Suddenly, he remembered something—Logan had found something on a credited mental wellness site and if Roman tried it—he bit his lip. There was no guarantee that it would work but he wouldn’t know until he tried.  
“Virgil,” Roman began softly. “I have an idea.” Virgil glanced up at him, eyes shimmering with tears. “Lay down and put your head in my lap.” Virgil’s brow furrowed. “I know it sounds weird, but I think it might help you. Just trust me.” Virgil obeyed, laying on his back with his head in Roman’s lap, an unsure expression lingering on his face.  
Roman paused, momentarily unsure but quickly shooing those thoughts away, and began gently massaging his temples, rubbing circles on them with his thumbs. Virgil froze momentarily, startled both by the gesture and how pleasant it felt. But soon after, he relaxed and shut his eyes, letting his body go limp. “Just try to breathe slow and deep.” Roman whispered.  
Virgil shut his eyes and rested his arms across his stomach as Roman massaged his head. He did his best to control his breathing with some techniques Logan had recommended to him—breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, breathe out for eight seconds. He had to admit that the whole experience was fairly calming; the breathing techniques seemed to be working, Roman’s bed was very soft, the fairy lights strung across his room gave the room a very gentle glow, and he had to admit that Roman’s massaging skills were pretty damn good. Virgil could remember how good it felt when Roman massaged his hands a few weeks back, but that felt like nothing compared to this. There was something else to it that he couldn’t quite describe, though. Something about laying with Roman felt...safe to him. He wasn’t quite sure what that meant but he tried not to question it now.  
Roman then switched from massaging his temples to running his hands through his hair. Virgil let out a small sigh.  
“Is this helping?” Roman asked timidly.  
Virgil raises a hand and put it over his heart. “Well, it’s definitely slowed down.”  
“And how do you feel?”  
“Not completely cured but definitely a lot better.”  
“I’m glad.” Roman said with a gentle smile, and Virgil felt heat rising to his cheeks. Damn, he was too cute.  
From the other end of the Mind Palace, the two could hear Patton calling for Virgil. He quickly took this opportunity to excuse himself, he was starting to feel a little awkward and he didn’t want to ruin the pleasant evening they’d just had.  
“Listen, I’d better go.” He said, quickly sitting up.  
“Are you sure? If you still feel too anxious, I can cover for you, I don’t want your anxiety to get worse again.”  
Virgil fidgeted with the sleeve of his hoodie. “A-Are you sure?” He asked, silently cursing himself for sounding so timid.  
“Of course. Just take things slow, I don’t want you to overwhelm yourself.”  
Roman started moving himself to edge of the bed when Virgil suddenly threw his arms around him in a tight hug. Roman froze in his tracks, his whole face going bright red.  
“Thank you Roman. For everything.” 


End file.
